Romance scams

AubreyMac

Anyone else see the panorama programme?


How on earth do people send money to an online lover they've never actually met?


Honestly, some people are so stupid. You could actually applaud the scammers really.

Rubik

AubreyMac wrote: »

Anyone else see the panorama programme?


How on earth do people send money to an online lover they've never actually met?


Honestly, some people are so stupid. You could actually applaud the scammers really.

I wouldn't say "stupid" - vulnerable, emotionally fragile, gullible, lonely, are just a few better words to describe those unfortunates who are taken advantage of by heartless scammers.

Buttermint

I remember when I worked in a bank a lady coming in with an email from her 'boyfriend' in Africa who had asked her to send a load of information to him so he could 'send her money' for a plane fare.

It included; her sort code, account number, debit card number with the expiry date and 3 digits, PIN number, full address, her BIC and IBAN numbers, her National Insurance, mobile number, online passwords etc etc it went on & on.

I asked her had she ever actually met him, of course she hadn't, only ever spoken online. Advised her that he wouldn't need all that information to send HER money and that with all of that information he would be able to completely steal her identity and all of the money in her accounts and that it was a common scam. Also that she would be breaching the account T&C's so bank would not be liable to cover any funds lost if she proceeded. She point blank refused to believe me. I was gobsmacked someone could be so gullible.

99bottles

Romance scammers are the only one I can understand. If you believe your in a relationship long distance, you've seen each other over Skype, phoned, texted emailed. Over several months they need some money to visit you'd pay. All other scams I'm more confused with. Saying that how does anyone get a computer virus? Why click on a dodge link via email or social media.

AubreyMac

Rubik wrote: »

I wouldn't say "stupid" - vulnerable, emotionally fragile, gullible, lonely, are just a few better words to describe those unfortunates who are taken advantage of by heartless scammers.

Fair enough.


This programme led me to youtube and there was a crimewatch article on it too as well as other news articles.


what gets me is that the scams are not even convincing (not to me anyway and I am quite thick).


An aunty of mine who was married for over 20 years and recently divorced does online dating, she falls in love with these scammers all the time. Luckily she would never send anyone 5p never mind 45k but the penny only drops for her when they ask for money. Before all this she believes that they really are soldiers/builders working abroad. This has happened about 7 times and she never learns.

ophiuchus

99bottles wrote: »

Romance scammers are the only one I can understand. If you believe your in a relationship long distance, you've seen each other over Skype, phoned, texted emailed. Over several months they need some money to visit you'd pay. All other scams I'm more confused with. Saying that how does anyone get a computer virus? Why click on a dodge link via email or social media.

My computer became infected with a rather nasty piece of malware after I clicked on what I thought was an add-on extension for an ad-blocker. It took an age to sort out and required re-installing the whole operating system.

With regard to 'gullible' people being scammed out of money, vulnerable people are exactly the sort of victim the confidence tricksters target and prey upon.

https://www.channel4.com/programmes/my-online-nightmare

Worth watching, if you haven't seen it already. I seem to recall a widowed lady in one of the episodes being scammed out of more than a hundred thousand pounds, by a man she'd never met and who in all likelihood did not even exist. The scammers are to blame, not the victims.

moneyistooshorttomention

It's not just women.

A bit back now here a friend of mine told me that a man she knew locally was apparently corresponding with a very attractive, generally desirable etc woman abroad. Now the man concerned is no-one's idea of attractive, a LOT older than her, got all sorts of major permanent health problems etc etc.

We all felt it somewhat unlikely that such an attractive, desirable woman as he told us this was would be likely to be genuinely interested in him - though miracles do happen obviously...

Yep...we were right....but last I knew friend said he was busily corresponding with another woman...

On the other hand - an article in today's paper re this woman who had actually married one of these foreign young guys (about 40 years younger or so I believe he was??) and gone to live with him there. She was plain/fat/badly-dressed/etc and he was young and attractive. Again - sometimes very disparate relationships can be "for real" - but logic would say that the odds weren't good in her favour.

So one doesn't want to say internet relationships don't work - as occasionally they do indeed work - but someone from another country and/or great disparity of age and it's not good odds on those ones being "for real".

EDIT: and yes I watched that programme and the thing that struck me was the woman who thought she was talking with an American didn't seem to think it was odd that he didn't speak that good English (okay - American version of). I'd expect an American to speak perfect American or perfect English.

SuperPikachu

It's a shame that people become so lonely that they forget to think properly and fall for it to be honest.

But whilst there is any way possible to steal & thieve, there will be somebody out there trying it - just have to try and have your wits about you.

candygirl

I watched it , n felt so sorry for the old man who'd been swindled out of £100k plus:( He was so desperate n lonely

ophiuchus

candygirl wrote: »

I watched it , n felt so sorry for the old man who'd been swindled out of £100k plus:( He was so desperate n lonely

And victims seldom if ever get a single penny of their money back.
Scammers and confidence tricksters were around long before the internet, but this new technology has made it easy for them.

99bottles

@ophiuchus of course a lot of virus can be designed to confuse but a lot of people get taken in with an email from fred@ your bank.com saying your account is blocked click on link to unblock.
A romance scam takes time and people are invested in it with time. A Nigerian Prince would take 3 emails to ask for money a romance scammer could take 3 months.